Why the middle seat is actually the best place on a plane
WHEN booking a flight, everyone admits the middle seat is the worst one.
In fact, a study by Virgin Australia found just one per cent of people book the middle rather than the aisle or window seat.
However, the middle seat is actually the safest on a plane in the event of an emergency.
Research done by the analysed 65 plane crashes and found which seats were safest, based on survival rates.
A middle seat towards the back of a plane was found to be the safest, with a 28 per cent mortality rate - compared to seats further forward which had a mortality rate of 44 per cent.
Seats at the back of the cabin had the lowest fatality rate at 32 per cent.
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Thankfully, plane crashes are rare - a study in 2018 found that the chances of dying on a flight was just 1 in 2.52million.
Here are some other perks of the middle seat on a plane
Extra freebies
Virgin Australia passengers are now being encouraged to pick the middle seat, with some top prizes acting as an incentive.
Anyone who books a flight with the airline and chooses to sit between two other passengers can be entered into their middle seat lottery.
Between now and April 23, 2023 one person every week will be selected at random to win a prize, including cruises and holidays.
Both armrests
A flight attendant has put all elbow wars to rest, by clarifying who gets ownership of the middle ground.
Speaking to , the cabin crew member said it was an unwritten etiquette rule to let the middle passenger have priority.
She said: "If I could give an airline-etiquette PSA, I'd say I wish more passengers knew middle seat armrests are for the middle seat passenger — both of them."
Dealchecker's Travel Expert, Rosie Panter backed this up, telling : "It’s universally accepted that the middle seat passenger has drawn the short straw, so they should get the luxury of both armrests,"
"Why you ask? The aisle seat passenger has the freedom to stretch their legs and get up and down as and when they please, while the window seat passenger has the luxury of looking out of the window, day-dreaming of their holiday destination, or curling up to rest their head on the side of the plane to enjoy some shut eye, without the risk."
More chance of a free upgrade
Jacob Wedderburn-Day, CEO of Stasher told Sun Online Travel: “If you don’t like the uncertainty of waiting until a few hours before your flight to check in, then make sure to select the middle seat.”
“Airlines are more likely to upgrade passengers who are sitting in the middle seat as this is generally considered the least desirable place to sit.
“So, if you don’t mind being wedged between two other people, it might pay off to book those seats.”
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A flying expert recently revealed why you should always pick the worst seat on a plane.
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